Muchos Caballos

I have a deep passion for designing fashion and clothing, and the process of taking a concept through production to share it with the world is one of my greatest joys. In 2021, I decided to merge this passion with my love for Hawaiian shirts, launching a side project called Muchos Caballos.

The concept was simple: create bold, colourful shirts that filled a gap in the market, offering something vibrant and confident at an accessible price point. The kind of shirts that make people think, “Wow, that’s cool!” The name Muchos Caballos—Spanish for "Many Horses"—came from a phrase I’d heard on a podcast and instantly loved the sound of (not all names need to mean something deep.) I designed the logo to reflect the playful, carefree ethos of the brand, keeping it intentionally rough and fun, paired with the tagline, “It’s all about the vibe.”

For the launch, I designed five repeat patterns with unique colours and themes: Crane, Grouse, Gateway, Tibetan Tiger, and Roses. Each design was created to be striking yet wearable by anyone. The Crane design, by far the most popular, was also the most intricate repeat pattern I had ever created, featuring cranes, skulls, and cherry blossoms set against a dark green background. The Grouse shirt was a personal homage to my father, blending symbols tied to his life: grouse for his birthday on the first day of the grouse season, daisies and poppies representing his beloved dogs, and colours inspired by his tartan kilt. The Roses design offered a bright yet subtle shirt with fine details, while the Gateway brought a darker, elevated "goth" aesthetic with highly detailed artwork. Lastly, the Tibetan Tiger featured a revamped version of a wallpaper design I’d created previously, now refreshed with a striking pink colourway.

I worked closely with manufacturers to perfect the construction and fit of the shirts, opting for an oversized, boxy style that could be worn open or tucked in, matching the way I like to wear them. Achieving the ideal fit involved multiple samples, and I added custom labels and swing tags with gold detailing to elevate the overall product.

For the lookbook, I collaborated with long-time creative partner Tony Thompson, modelling and styling the shirts myself to showcase their versatility. One styling choice—pairing a shirt with a suit—resonated with customers, leading to many people buying the shirts for weddings, including grooms who wore them on their big day.

I also built the entire e-commerce ecosystem from scratch, including a Shopify store and an Instagram account, which grew to over 3,000 followers despite the project having just one release. The shirts generated over £50,000 in sales, showcasing my ability to take a concept from ideation to execution while achieving measurable results—all while balancing the management of other businesses.

Muchos Caballos was a labour of love and a testament to my ability to deliver creative, commercially successful projects that resonate with people.